PhD

Developing the next generation of business scholars

Fuqua’s PhD Program in Business Administration (CIP 52.1399, STEM eligible) prepares candidates for research and teaching careers at leading educational institutions and for careers where advanced research and analytical capabilities are needed.  

At Fuqua, you’ll develop close working relationships with leading scholars in your field in a stimulating and collaborative learning environment. We encourage strong collaborations between students and faculty, both within your academic area and across different areas, in order to foster the groundbreaking interdisciplinary research we’re known for.

Academic Experience

Our PhD program focuses on three critical development areas to prepare you for your career:

  • Independent inquiry
  • Competence in research methodology
  • Communication of research results

From the start, you’ll be introduced to rigorous coursework and the research activities across our faculty and your PhD student peers.

    Our Faculty

    In our PhD degree program, you’ll work with our world-renowned faculty who are recognized for excellence in both teaching and research, and for their accessibility across degree programs.

    Program Requirements

    The PhD in Business Administration is a degree of the Graduate School of Duke University and follows the degree requirements set by Duke’s Graduate School.  In general, the PhD program requires an average of 5 years to complete. After you and a faculty member in your academic area determine your specific study program, according to your interests and goals, you’ll be required to:

    • Gain expertise in your area of special interest through your coursework and independent study
    • Complete a preliminary qualifying exam in this area of study by the third year of residence, or earlier
    • Defend your dissertation successfully

    How to Apply

    If you have any questions about Fuqua's PhD programs, please contact our PhD Program Office +1 919.660.7862 or by email. Applications for the PhD program can be found online on the Duke Graduate School website. The application deadline is December 15.

    Admission is based on both merit and on a competitive basis.  On average, each academic area matriculates 2-3 students each year.  The acceptance rate ranges between 2% and 8% across the areas.

    Placements

    Recent PhD Placements 

    Accounting
     Yale University,Yale School of Management
     Cornell University, Johnson College of Business
     INSEAD
     University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business

     

    Decision Sciences
     Indiana University, Kelley School of Business
     University of Texas at Dallas, Jindal School of Management
     University of Chicago, Booth School of Business
     European School of Management and Technology (ESMT)
     New York University - Shanghai

     

    Finance
     Yale University, Yale School of Management
     Purdue University, Krannert School of Management
     University of Michigan, Ross School of Business
     University of Western Ontario, Ivey School of Business
     City University of Hong Kong, College of Business

     

    Management and Organizations
     Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)
     Cornell University, Johnson College of Business
     Tulane University, Freeman School of Business
     Columbia University, Columbia Business School
     Michigan State University, Broad College of Business
     INSEAD

     

    Marketing
     Hong Kong University, Business School
     University of Washington, Foster School of Business
     University of Rochester, Simon Business School
     University of Pittsburgh, Katz Graduate School of Business
     Cornell University, Johnson College of Business
     Indiana University, Kelley School of Business

     

    Operations Management
     Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business
     Pennsylvania State University, Smeal College of Business
     University of Pittsburgh, Katz Graduate School of Business
     University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School
     Johns Hopkins University, Carey Business School

     

    Strategy
     University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management
     London Business School
     University of Colorado, Leeds School of Business
     Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business
     European School of Management and Technology (ESMT)
     New York University, Stern School of Business
    Papers

    Oliver Binz - Accounting

    Matt Kubic - Accounting

    Chen Chen - Decision Sciences

    Mingliu Chen - Decision Sciences

    Huseyin Gurkan - Decision Sciences

    Sophie Yu - Decision Sciences

    Jingwei Zhang - Decision Sciences

    John Barry - Finance

    Danbee Chon - Management & Organizations

    Sean Fath - Management & Organizations

    Anyi Ma - Management & Organizations

    Rebecca Ponce de Leon - Management & Organizations

    Sara Wingrove - Management & Organizations

    Rodrigo Dias - Marketing

    Siddharth Prusty - Marketing

    Lingrui Zhou - Marketing

    Jacqueline Rifkin - Marketing

    Nah Lee - Marketing

    Holly Howe - Marketing

    Kelley Gullo Wight - Marketing

    Yuexing Li - Operations Management

    Chen-An Lin - Operations Management

    Yuan-Mao Kao - Operations Management

    Lia Sheer - Strategy

    Awards

    Oliver Binz - Accounting

    • FARS Midyear Meeting Outstanding Reviewer Award 2022
    • EAR Conference Best Discussant Award 2021

    Matthew Kubic - Accounting

    • The Fuqua School of Business' Best Dissertation Award 2019-2020

    Taha Ahsin - Finance

    • MFA Best Doctoral Paper Award 2022 (Top 5)

    Jing Huang - Finance

    • European Finance Association Best Conference Paper Prize 2021 for Open Banking: Credit Market Competition when Borrowers Own the Data
    • Western Finance Association Best Paper in FinTech 2022, for "Fintech Expansion"

    YoungJun Song - Finance

    • Most Influential Faculty Award

    Sean Fath - Management & Organizations

    • Selected for AOM Best Paper Proceedings (top 10% of accepted papers)

    Anyi Ma - Management & Organizations

    Rebecca Ponce de Leon - Management & Organizations

    • The Fuqua School of Business' Best Dissertation Award 2021-2022
    • University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Advancing Research and Creativity Grant 2022
    • Winner, INFORMS/Organization Science Dissertation Proposal Competition 2021

    Jacqueline Rifkin - Marketing

    • Co-Principal Investigator, The Jerome A. Chazen Institute for Global Business Research Grant 2022
    • Best Talk Award 2022, Society for Consumer Psychology Conference (Interpersonal Relations & Group Processes Track)
    • Early Career Faculty Award 2021, University of Missouri-Kansas City Emeritus College

    Holly Howe - Marketing

    • AMA Sheth Consortium Fellow 2020
    • Society of Consumer Psychology, Best Poster Award - Beyond Persuasion: Developing a Framework of Communication Patterns in Joint Decision-Making

    Chenghuai Li - Operations Management

    • Winner, Best Paper Competition 2022, Digital Supply Chain and Supplier Diversity Conference

    Yuexing Li - Operations Management

    Chen-An Lin - Operations Management

    Lia Sheer - Strategy

    • The Fuqua School of Business' Best Dissertation Award 2020-2021
    Frequently Asked Questions

    What areas of study do you offer?

    We have study concentrations in the following areas: Accounting, Decision Sciences, Finance, Marketing, Management and Organizations, Operations Management and Strategy.

    Could you evaluate my chances of admissions to the program?

    Please be advised, we cannot offer assessment of candidacy to applicants or provide feedback to re-applicants. The admission decision is made by faculty in each area and awarded on a competitive basis, after evaluating all applications. We encourage all interested candidates to apply.

    Do you have online or part time options for your degree program?

    No, online or part time options are not available for our doctoral program.

    Do you have to be in residence during the program?

    Students are required to be in residence during their coursework (2-3 years) and are highly encouraged to remain in residence for the remainder of the program. On average, students complete the program in 5 years.

    I have a graduate degree. Could I be exempt from the GRE/GMAT test requirement?

    The GMAT or GRE is required for admission to the Business Administration Program. The GMAT or GRE cannot be waived under any circumstance.

    Is there a minimum score for GMAT or GRE?

    There is no minimum score requirement, although successful applicants tend to have competitive scores.

    If I have an MBA degree, will that make a difference?

    Some students have an MBA or another master's degree before entering the program. However, an MBA or another master's degree is not required for admissions.

    Is work experience required?

    No, it is not required.

    Are interviews required as part of the admissions process?

    No, they are not required, although some areas may choose to conduct preliminary interviews prior to final admission decisions.

    How many recommendation letters are required?

    Three recommendation letters are required.

    What financial assistance is available for doctoral students?

    Fuqua offers fellowships to all doctoral students, including international students. This fellowship pays for tuition, a competitive stipend for living expenses, and single person health fees. The fellowship is renewable for up to five years of doctoral education, conditional on good academic standing in the program. Additional funding in the form of research and teaching assistantships is also available to PhD students. For information about financial aid, please see https://gradschool.duke.edu/financial-support.

    Your admission to the PhD program will include stipends, tuition and registration, and health fees for up to ten semesters, provided you are making satisfactory progress in the program.  Other forms of financial assistance include:

    • Desktop computer
    • Support for approved academic travel
    • Assistance in seeking funding from the Graduate School and outside sources

    Teaching and research assistantships are available for supplementary funding.  For additional information about financial aid, please see https://gradschool.duke.edu/financial-support.

    Can I visit the Fuqua School of Business?

    The PhD office is unable to offer school tours or individual meetings with Fuqua faculty before the pre-admit season begins. Contacting faculty prior to application submission is not necessary. Due to the volume of inquiries, faculty members regret that they are unable to respond to all inquiries. Prospective students are encouraged to learn about faculty research.

    Do you have a resource guide for Duke and the greater Durham area?

    Duke Graduate School and the Emerging Leaders Institute have surveyed current students and created The Professional's Guide to Duke and Durham to answer common questions for incoming students.

     

    Duke's Graduate School

    The answers to the following frequently asked questions can be found at the Duke's Graduate School general webpage:

    • How do I apply to the PhD Program?
    • Do I need to provide TOEFLs or IELTS scores?
    • What is the minimum ESL-related score?
    • If I have an admissions question, who do I contact?
    • How much is the application fee?
    • Are official documents required during the application review process?
    • My transcript is not in English, do I need to provide a translation?
    • What if I retake the GRE or GMAT, which score is considered?
    • How can I check the status of my application?

     

     

    Event

    October 25 and 26

    Duke undergraduate and graduate student virtual information sessions

    Register
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    Event

    October 11

    Meet Fuqua’s PhD program in-person at Emory University’s university fair (co-hosted by Georgia Tech and Spelman College).

    Register
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    Event

    October 13

    Meet Fuqua PhD program in-person at George Mason University’s university fair (co-hosted by University of Maryland)

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    Apply

    Start your application to one of our PhD programs now.

    Apply

    Accounting * Decision Sciences * Finance * Management and Organizations * Marketing * Operations Management * Strategy

    Strategy PhD Program
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    PhD Program in Business Administration

    Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business

    100 Fuqua Drive
    Durham, NC 27708-0120
    Tel +1.919.660.7862
    fuqua-phd-info@duke.edu

    Office Hours

    Monday–Friday
    8:00 a.m.– 4:30 p.m.

    Map and Directions

    Fields of Study


    Accounting

    Get a solid foundation in the tools of accounting research.

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    Decision Sciences

    Help organizations make better decisions.

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    Finance

    Push the frontiers of research in financial economics.

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    Management and Organizations

    Understand organizations from multiple perspectives.

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    Marketing

    Among the most published and cited marketing faculties in the world.

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    Operations Management

    Think conceptually, carefully and creatively about operations issues.

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    Strategy

    Innovation, entrepreneurship, organizations, and business and public policy.

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